Roster Tiers: Who Is Relevant On The San Francisco 49ers For Fantasy Football

The San Francisco 49ers have a team that is once again healthy and ready to do some damage. I break down, in tier levels, who your offensive targets should be, for 2019.

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a season where their both their starting QB and starting RB fell to injuries. As they enter 2019 in a healthier state and are still lead by their offensive guru of a head coach, in Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers are a team that should have some good fantasy producers. Let’s check out how the San Francisco 49ers offensive tiers break down.

Tier 1- Draft Targets

2018 stats: 88 receptions, 1377 receiving yards, and 5 TDs

With Jimmy Garoppolo back and healthy, Kittle gets an upgrade at QB. Unfortunately he won’t be playing the Denver Broncos for every game of the season (last year Kittle torched the Broncos for 210 yards on 9 catches), and the 49ers WR corp should be better, as well.

Yet, George Kittle is the clear-cut fantasy stud, for the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to the 1300+receiving yards, Kittle had 7+Targets in 13 games for the 49ers. He’s the focal point of the 49ers offense and despite his TE position status, he was 8th in the NFL for receving yards (and 1st amongst TEs). Translation: He’s a TE that gives you WR1 stats.

Tier 2- Depth Players

QB Jimmy Garoppolo

In 2017 Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the New England Patriots to the San Francisco 49ers. Garappolo wowed the NFL during a pretty good five-game stretch to end the season. In 2018, a season where most people were projecting Garoppolo to be a top 10 QB, Garoppolo started off strong only to be seriously injured in the 3rd game of the season.

In contrast to the 2018 offseason, Garoppolo returns with a lot less hype around him, but still has a terrific amount of upside. The 49ers have a schedule that favors both QBs and WRs, and because of that Jimmy Garoppolo can be a key player for your fantasy team. He’s being taken as a QB2, for most fantasy owners, and is being projected a top 15 to top 20 QB, although he has top 10 QB potential, if he can click with the rest of this young offense.

Nick Mullens was 5th in entire NFL last season at 8.3 yards per attempt. More than Brees, Russ, Ryan, Brady, Rodgers etc. Now a healthy Jimmy G enters the scheme with improved weaponry. https://t.co/MV5QNwpNZF

2018 Stats: 27 receptions, 467 yards, and 5 TDs

Presently, Dante Pettis is one of the most coveted up-and-coming WRs in fantasy football, after a decent rookie season, which ended on a high note (283 yards and 3 TD over his last 4 games).

Dante Pettis is projected to be the #1 WR for the San Francisco and is slated to make a big jump from his rookie stats in his 2nd season. One impressive stat is Pettis’ YAC (Yards After Catch), which was in the top 10 in the NFL at 7.7 yards and was tied for #1 in the NFC West for WRs. That abililty to gain yardage after the catch certainly should help Pettis make the most of each reception that comes his way, and push his potential receiving yardage into the top 25-30 for WRs.

2019 Projections: 60 receptions, 850 receiving yards, and 7 TDs

– 2.25 yards per route run from the slot (8th)– 125.7 passer rating when targeted (9th)– 17.3 yards per reception (5th)– All on only 40 targets.

2018 was Tevin Coleman’s best year, statistically speaking, and Coleman was the best free agent RB on the market, after Le’Veon Bell. Most people expected him to join a team, where he could be the lead RB. Instead he went to the San Francisco 49ers, to once again join forces with Kyle Shanahan.

Tevin Coleman will be the lead back, in the 49ers RRBC. Though with Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida around, his ceiling is limited unless he can win more carries, or injuries occur.

Tier 3- Rotational Players

RB Jerick McKinnon:

2018 Stats: None-Injury (out for the year)

As a result of a preseason injury, before the 2018 season, Jerick McKinnon didn’t get a single snap for the 2018 San Francisco 49ers. McKinnon was seen as a breakout candidate, who was primed for a starting role, after coming over from Minnesota, where he was a electric backup RB, who had 51 receptions to go with his 570 rushing yards, in 2017.

Additionally, another result of McKinnon’s injury is that the 49ers signed Tevin Coleman to a free agent contract during offseason. This pushes McKinnon to a RRBC role, at best, and thus reduces his projected stats.

McKinnon and Coleman will be get their carries, on a weekly basis, however, McKinnon will need for Coleman to fail or be injured before he assumes a bigger role.

WR Deebo Samuel

2018 Stats: None (2019 Rookie)

As a matter of fact, I’ve already written about Deebo Samuel, this season in my sleepers article.

The 49ers are grooming the young, talented rookie to hit the ground running. They are expecting him to have an immediate impact, this season. They’ve brought in Wes Welker, former Patriots/Dolphins/Broncos WR to coach him up, and get him ready, and he’ll most likely win, or move up to, the #2 WR spot for the 49ers.

Additionally, it seems like Deebo has the work ethic to fit in at the pro level. I fully expect Deebo Samuel to be one of the top producing rookie WRs, in 2019.

2018 Stats: 23 receptions, 395 yards receiving, and 4 TDs

Marquise Goodwin, the winner of the $1M “40 Yards of Gold” competition (think human drag racing), has run 4.27 40 speed, and thus has the speed to blow up (and through) NFL defenses. The 49ers will be using Goodwin as a home run hitter, running past blown coverages for backbreaking huge gains against defenses.

In addition, with the new, reviewable pass interference rule, I expect the 49ers will use be one of the teams to benefit the most. They will use Marquise Goodwin to sucker other teams’ secondaries into downfield contact, in an attempt to slow Goodwin down.

Goodwin won’t be a dominate WR, in terms of receptions, and TDs, but he’ll be an important weapon in the 49ers offense, and should put up decent yardage with every reception her receives.

Sleepers:

RB Matt Breida

In 2018, Matt Breida was slatted to be buried in the depth chart. Jerick McKinnon was projected to be the starting RB for the 49ers. After McKinnon was injured in the preseason, Matt Breida stepped up, and had a terrific year. He had a stunning 5.3 YPC average (4th best in the NFL), as he led the 49ers in rushing.

Similarly, this year, Matt Breida is buried in the depth chart, as McKinnon is returning healthy to the 49ers AND Tevin Coleman was signed in the off-season. Breida will have to wait for injuries to occur for the guys in front on him, but he has the potential to gain some serious yardage, if given the opportunity.

When Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury, Nick Mullens eventually became the starter. He put up some pretty good stats in the eight games he started. Correspondingly, If you project his 2018 stats, out to 16 games, he’d be over 4500 yards passing with 26 TDs. In other words, he would’ve had the same stats as Aaron Rodgers, in 2018.

While you can’t predict Nick Mullens becoming the starter again, you’ll want to keep him on your radar. Do this just in case Jimmy Garoppolo is injured and has to sit for any amount of time, as he has the ability to put up nice stats and be a more than decent fantasy starter for your team.